Clinch-nut and method of making



March 29, 1938. P. E. DOUBLE CLINCH NUT AND METHOD OF- MAKING Filed Jan. 22, 1957 INVENTOR- BY werillouble A ORNEY.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 oFFIo 3 @laims.

This invention relates to clinch nuts and has particular reference to an improved clinch nut and method of forming the same. The invention herein disclosed is akin in principle to the inventions disclosed in my co-pending applications,

'8. N. 81,887, filed May 26, 1936, and S. N. 97,963,

filed August 26, 1936.

In assembling automobiles, stoves, and other articles of manufacture it is necessary to provide threaded apertures in certain pieces, so that other pieces or elements may be attached thereto with ease and security. Particularly in assembling bodies in the automobile industry wherecompara-= tively light gauge metal is used it is necessary to provide threaded elements which have more thread area than the thickness of the body metal itself provides. These elements are often required in more or less inaccessible places and they must be accurately positioned to facilitate the rapid assembly of a car as it proceeds along an assembly line. To assist in overcoming the inherent difllculties, it became the common practice to punch holes in the metal at required places and insert therein some form of a nut which could be 5 secured to the metal by riveting or other means. Various types of nuts for this purpose have been proposed, one of which is'shown in the applications,,hereinabove identified. With the exception of the nut disclosed in my co-pending applications all of the clinch nuts used heretofore have been comparatively expensive to manufacture. It is the purpose of this disclosure to teach how to make a clinch nut with a minimum of expense. Another object of this invention is to provide a clinch nut which may be assembled by using a standard square, or other standard shaped nut as the foundation, and attaching thereto a collar of any predetermined shape required to engage the aperture formed in the sheet metal to which the nut is to be attached.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clinch nut which may be formed without the necessity of expensive machining operations in l5 remainsan open joint. Although this is the its fabrication.

e foregoing objects and other advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a nut embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the element from 55 which I prefer to form the collar of the nut.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a nut, similar to the one in Fig. 1, attached to a fragment of metal.

Hg. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a clinch nut embodying my invention but having a different shaped collar from the nut shown in Fig. i.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of Fig. '71.

Fig. 9 is a detaii showing the element used to form the collar of the nut illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a nut. similar to the one illustrated in Fig. 7, attached to a fragment of metal.

Fig. 11 is a section taken on line H-il of Fig. 10.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will be seen that in the embodiments herein disclosed the clinch nuts'consist of the internally threaded bodies l4 and Ma and the collars l5 L and lid, which are secured thereto as hereinafter described. The bodies It and Ila are standard shaped square nuts which are formed in the customary manner. It is obvious that any shaped standard nut may be employed with equal 5i advantage in practicing this invention. In Fig. 1 7 I have shown a clinch nut fabricated with a square collar l5 and in Fig. '7 a similar nut is shown, fabricated with a c shaped collar I50. In fabricating a nut such as is illustrated in Fig. 1 I prefer to provide a suitable diameter round wire which I run through a machine in order to flatten it on two sides as illustrated in Fig. 4. The flattened wire is then cut into suitable lengths and rolled into a hollow square as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. To enable the nut to be more easily riveted to another element I prefer to make breaks or incisions as at l6 in the collar l5. These breaks l6 extend inwardly a suitable distance from one edge of the collar and are spaced to coincide with three of the corners of the square. These incisions l6 permit the edges 2| to be layed over without using excessive force at the corners. The fourth corner I! of the collar preferred method of making the hollow square collar l5 it will be understood that it may also be made from square tubing cut into suitable widths. After the collar I5 is formed, it is then secured along the uncut edge l8 to the upper surface of the nut body l4, preferably by projection welding, sweating, soldering or similar means. In attaching the collar I5 by projection welding, that operation is assisted by reason of the curvedformation of the contacting edge. l8, resulting from the ,1

I! to settle into a firm position on the nut body l4, thereby effecting a very satisfactory bond.

After the collar I5 is secured in place the nut may then be riveted to a piece of metal I! (Fig. 5) by inserting the collar l5 through an aperture 20, formed in the metal l9 and laying the edges 2| over the metal l9 by any suitable means. The C shaped collar Isa. (Fig. 7) is formed 01' a similar piece 01' wire stock but it is not necessary to provide the incisions I (Fig. 4) in order to work it and attach it to the metal I90 (Fig. 10). The c shaped collar liaissecured to the nut body a and ultimately riveted to the metal l9a'in all respects similarly to the operations described with reference to the nut I4 and collar Ii. In the modified form (Figs. '7 to 10) parts corresponding to the various partsillustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 are designated with like reference characters plus the letter "a.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A clinch nut comprising an internally threaded standard shaped nut, having secured to one side thereof, by welding, a collar defining a portion of a circle.

2. The method of making a clinch nut from a standard nut, which consists of forming a collar of predetermined shape, by rolling a strip of metal, and then securing said preformed collar to said standard nut by welding.

3. The method oi. making a clinch-nut front a standard nut, which consists of providing a narrow strip of metal, making incisions at spaced intervals along one edge of said strip, forming a collar of predetermined shape of said strip, and

- then securing said collar to said nut by welding.

PLUMMER E. DOUBLE. 

